International migration in the age of crisis and globalization : historical and recent experiences

The international mobility of people is a main feature of the global economy of today and yesterday. However, external openness is often more favorable to the mobility of goods and money than people across different periods of the world economy including times of crisis, globalization, nationalism, and autarkic trends. Immigration augments the labor force in receiving countries and provides many of the bodies and minds that are essential to any vibrant economy. The international mobility of human capital and talented individuals is critical to the transfer of knowledge, ideas, fresh capital, contacts, and entrepreneurial capacities. This book, which promotes a freer and more humane regime for the mobility of people, is based on a blend of theory and empirical evidence comprising varied country examples and rich historical material ranging from the mid-19th century to the early 21st century.